Tuesday, 27 October 2015

The Monster Writes Back: Jekyll and Hyde on TV

Jekyll and Hyde on ITV (UK)

ITV's new Jekyll and Hyde has broadcast its first episode and been greeted with a significant level of controversy:

"ITV’s has refused to bow to pressure to move its teatime drama Jekyll
and Hyde to a later slot after the watershed, despite more than 500
complaints about violent scenes in the broadcast on Sunday evening. The drama, shown at 6:30pm, featured scenes of a man being bludgeoned
to death within the first minute, and went on to include further grisly
deaths and potentially disturbing imagery.
ITV said it had received 280 complaints, while 263 people contacted
broadcasting regulator Ofcom to express their concern about the show." (Guardian, 26 October 2015).

Set in 1930s London, the story is a 'sequel' to R.L Stevenson's classic, written by Charlie Higson. It follows the story of the dashing and romantic, violent and monstrous grandson of the original doctor, Robert Jekyll. Curiously, the drama begins in Ceylon, where the grandson has been brought up by an Indian family. The opening scene there shows a kind doctor who offers a lesson on the superiority of modern medicine over primitive magic. Yet he attracts fame and notoriety when he uses his superhuman strength to save a girl who has been crushed beneath a truck that has crashed into the surgery.

Soon letters are arriving from London recalling to life the closet underworld of a secret family history. As the grandson breaks violently with his adopted family (a convention of gothic romance), and old woman screams that he is cursed. As the grandson arrives at Gravesend and London, the adopted family in Ceylon eagerly await a postcard from him. Will the monster write back?Gothic humour is evident as the violence turns to slapstick, a demonic dance of destruction.Furthermore, the new intelligence agent, Mr Wax (?) is heard to remark, "I can't help believing this is some elaborate joke, some ritual to tease the new boy." Richard E. Grant, who plays the master of monstrous secret intelligence responds:

'I wasn't entirely straight with you --- some of the monsters work for us."

Darker hints suggest more awful developments as the portentousness of the monstrous coming is figured in the idea of monstrous announcement: the harbinger.

From an idea conceived by acclaimed
novelist Charlie Higson, the action and fantasy series has been inspired
by The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Higson has written and will executive produce the drama which exudes
mystery, fantasy, horror and sci-fi.

Tom Bateman has just played the lead in
the critically acclaimed Shakespeare in Love in London’s West End and
takes the lead role as Robert Jekyll, Richard E Grant plays Sir Roger
Bulstrode who heads the secret government department M10 known as ‘The
Invisible Men’ and Natalie Gumede takes the part of Bella who forms part
of a love triangle with Robert.

Set in 1930’s London at a time of
Hollywood glamour, aerodynamic cars and monster movies, the drama will
pay homage to the Stevenson novel, and focus on the young, attractive,
troubled hero, Robert Jekyll, the grandson of the original doctor.

At the heart of the drama is Robert
Jekyll’s quest to discover his real identity, his true family history
and the nature of his ‘curse’. Jekyll transforms into Hyde in moments of
extreme anger, stress and when his or the lives of others are
threatened.

Higson’s Jekyll is a young, sensitive and
naïve man of intellect and morality, a well meaning if slightly
repressed character who slips between his two personas unwillingly.
Hyde is a totally different person; a superhero with super powers,
great strength, speed and invulnerability. He is confident, risk-taking
and lives life on the edge. His self-destructive nature gets him into
trouble, and yet he is an incredibly powerful force. He is a man of
action who gets things done despite the consequences! Throughout the
series we will witness Jekyll wrestling with the dark, brooding
personality of Hyde as he struggles to come to terms with his superhero
alter ego.

In the opening episode Jekyll is a newly
qualified doctor living with his foster parents in Ceylon. He knows
nothing of his family history or his inherited condition, which his
foster father, Dr Vishal Najaran, is controlling with medication. The
drama follows his path to discovery, which coincides with the
transformative powers of his condition growing stronger and more
disruptive. His journey will take him into a dark and unforgiving
place, as his alter ego seems capable of anything. At the same time
there are shadowy forces trying to find Jekyll and the source of his
powers.

Jekyll and Hyde will be directed by Colin
Teague (Being Human, The Town, Sinbad) with production in Sri Lanka
commencing later this month and filming in London from February until
July 2015.

Jekyll and Hyde was commissioned by ITV’s Director of Drama Steve November and Head of Drama Series, Jane Hudson.

CGI will play a huge part in the main
character’s transformation from Jekyll into Hyde and the subsequent
superhero sequences when the darker side of our hero emerges and
demonstrates extraordinary strength and agility. Certain characters will
also be created by CGI techniques, as there are no limits to what will
be imagined by the production team.

Jekyll and Hyde will feature several
recurring characters, some human, and some freaks of nature. Monsters
will thrive throughout the series and there’ll be spooky creatures,
ghouls, zombies, werewolves and vampires.

Footnote to Editors:

Charlie Higson is known for The Fast
Show, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Young James Bond books and his
current horror series for teenagers, The Enemy.